Author's Note: Okay, so after some thinking I've decided that this is the last chapter of this story. Kinda sad about that, but I really want to start another story sooooo...Thanks to everyone who has been reading this! Please take a look at my other RENT story if you haven't already and please enjoy this final chapter! XOXO:)
CHAPTER 10:
"You know what's crazy?!" Roger asks, sitting down on the tattered couch in their loft apartment. "Hmm?" Mark asks, looking up from his book, peering through his glasses. Roger takes a moment to start. "If you hadn't come after me when I was leaving for the war-" He pauses.
"If you hadn't shot yourself in the damn leg, we wouldn't be here right now." He says, laughing a bit. Mark smiles. "Yeah."
After getting a steady cash flow from working at Jack's music store, they managed to find a small apartment on the corner of 11th street and Avenue B in East Village. It was only a few blocks from Jack's and the Life Cafe.
When they moved in there, they had just enough money to rent it, but needed more for food and such...the solution was a roommate.
They met Tom Collins at the Life Cafe, and after talking for a while, they invited him to come over. One thing led to another and now they were rooming with him.
Mark and Roger were still dating. There were bound to be a few bumps in the road of course, but they got through it.
They were both around 20-something now, and living happily in their little loft.
"You know what's even crazier?" Roger asks. "What?" Mark replies, staring intently at the young musician. "That we met each other." He said. Mark looks at him with slight confusion. Roger catches on and rephrases.
"I mean of all the people we could have roomed with...we got put together. And now we're dating!" Roger says. Mark laughs a little. "Yeah...yeah I guess so."
All this talk about school reminds Mark of something. He chuckles a little to himself, looking down at his hand, staring intently at the white scar running across it. Roger never knew.
"Hey Rog?" Mark says. "Yeah?" Roger questions.
"I gotta tell you something." Mark says, not sounding very serious. "Sure." Roger says. Mark looks at his hand again.
"Remember that kid Timmy from school?" Mark asks.
Roger takes a moment to remember, until a funny look of realization crosses his face. "Yeah." He says with a laugh. "He was a d**k." Roger says, and they both laugh.
"Well do you also remember when he invited you to jump off that bridge and you brought me with you?" Mark asks. Roger nods, smiling but not saying anything. Mark laughs slightly at how childish it seemed now. "Well when I was about to jump off after you, I was kinda freaking out...and Timmy was getting impatient." Mark pauses and laughs a little.
"So he pushed me off, and my hand was still on the rusty railing...and my hand like split open." At this point Roger's eyes widened. "But you didn't notice, because it was dark and we were in the water. So when we got out I grabbed my white t-shirt and wrapped it around my hand so no one would see...and then I remember you telling me to put my shirt on because it was cold, and me saying that I was hot. And then I said I was taking a shower when we got back, but really I was stitching my hand up with stuff I found in the bathroom. I always meant to tell you, but I never did. With all the time we spent together I'm surprised you didn't notice." Mark finishes and laughs in spite of himself. "I just thought you would want to know." He says.
Mark looks up at Roger who's staring at him in shock. "Did that really happen?!" He asks. Mark nods. "Aw Marky! I'm sorry! I should have never forced you to come with me and those idiots!" Roger says, genuinely sorry. Mark gets up and goes to sit next to Roger.
"It's okay Roger, really." He says, resting his head on Roger's shoulder.
They both sit like that for a moment before Mark speaks. "I'm so glad we didn't go to Vietnam." He says. Roger smiles.
"Yeah. New York city is much better."
And with that, they both fell into a serene sleep, forever entangled in each others arms.